Lake County Worker Killed in Equipment Accident

By
KBJR News 1

May 1, 2013Updated Nov 1, 2013 at 6:25 PM CST

Lake County, MN (NNCNOW.com ) --- A 58-year-old man is dead following an equipment accident in Lake County.

Lee Roy Jacobson, a Lake County Highway Department Worker from Silver Bay, was killed Tuesday when the excavator he was operating fell into the Beaver River while he was attempting to clear an ice jam from a culvert.

Sheriff's deputies say it appears that icy conditions near the east branch of the Beaver River caused the accident.

Sheriff Carey Johnson says the north side of the river gets icy, and Jacobson's machine couldn't make it up the embankment and flipped into the water.

The Lake County Sheriff's Office received the call around 2:30 Monday afternoon from other workers who were on the scene. The workers reported that the backhoe Jacobson was operating had flipped into the river and they were unable to locate him.

Lake County Sheriff's Search and Rescue along with many other agencies and volunteers responded to the scene.

Lake County issued the following statement:

"It is with deep sadness that we report that our employee, Lee Roy Jacobson, died April 30th, 2013 after his excavator fell into the East branch of the Beaver River while clearing ice in front of a box culvert along County Road 5. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Lee Roy. We will continue to support them in this difficult time. Lake County takes employee safety very seriously and we will be evaluating this incident to make sure we are taking all necessary precautions. We are very grateful for the swift actions of the community and first responders during this tragic time"